As the demand for mobile broadband access continues to increase, there exists a need for further improvements in Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology. Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) LTE Rel-11 is part of a wireless industry effort to provide these further improvements.
The base station in a system supporting LTE is called an eNodeB. In order for an eNodeB to effectively provide user services, the eNodeB must provide control signaling, such as paging and other common signaling, to user equipment (UE). This signaling is provided over special control channels. Every active UE served by the eNodeB must listen to a control channel in order to receive services. Among other enhancements, 3GPP LTE Rel-11 is directed toward improvements to these control channels, including the ways in which a UE listens to, or monitors control channels. However, enhanced control channels must coexist with legacy control channels on a same carrier before all the legacy UEs phase out, in order that legacy UEs may still be served by these eNodeBs. Enhanced control channels should also support stand-alone operations after all the legacy UEs are replaced.